Over the years, the installation of pipes or other substantially linear conduits such as electrical cables, hoses, etc., extending across surfaces such as roadways, walkways, parking areas, and floors or walls of buildings or parking garages has become commonplace, particularly in applications where existing buildings and other structures are being upgraded or retrofitted, necessitating the installation of such pipes over existing surfaces. In particular, the installation of pipes or other conduits extending over existing surfaces such as roadways, walkways, parking areas and building or garage floors and walls may result in the exposure of such pipes to vehicular, pedestrian, or other traffic in the area of pipe installation that may pass over, impact against, or otherwise contact installed pipes, leading to potential damage. In particular, many types of pipes or other conduits may be susceptible to damage from forces exerted by vehicles or other loads passing over or resting on pipes which extend along a floor or horizontal surface for example, or from impacts by a vehicle or other object hitting or pressing against pipes which extend along a wall or other substantially vertical surface, for example. Accordingly, various types of pipe, cable or conduit covers and protectors have been developed and are known in the prior art to attempt to cover and provide protection from damage for pipes or other conduits which extend across a surface.
Conventional pipe or conduit covers and protectors known in the art may typically include one or more channels extending through the length of the protector in which one or more pipes and/or other conduits may be laid, and may also typically include one or more ramp or other inclined surfaces on either side of the channels to provide for vehicles or other loads to pass over the cover without directly loading or impacting the pipe or other conduit. However, many such conventional pipe or conduit covers and protectors are designed to be portable, such as for temporary use or for frequent relocation, and accordingly are not adapted to be securely or permanently attached to an underlying surface. Additionally, many such conventional pipe or conduit covers also may not provide for secure retention of pipes or conduits, which may simply be laid or draped in channels extending through the pipe or conduit protector.
In applications where pipes or conduits are desired to be installed permanently or semi-permanently as part of the construction, upgrade or retrofit of a building or other structure, it may be desired to be able to securely attach a pipe or conduit protector to an underlying existing surface, while still providing for the protection of the pipes or conduits from loads or impacts. Further in some applications where multiple pipes or other conduits are to be installed and protected from loads and impacts, or it may be desired to be able to keep individual pipes or conduits from contact with each other. Additionally, in some such applications, or applications where pipes or other conduits may be fragile or susceptible to shock, or for improved support of the pipes or other conduits, it may be desired to be able to securely retain the pipes or other conduits within the pipe cover, to prevent movement or damage from occurring inside the pipe cover. Accordingly, there remains a need for a pipe or other conduit cover and protector apparatus which addresses the shortcomings of the protectors known in the prior art.